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13, January 2017

Gunfire erupts in Ivory Coast’s second largest city ⁰

Gunfire has erupted in Ivory Coast’s second largest city, Bouake, ahead of planned talks between the defense minister and a group of mutinous soldiers. Witnesses said the troops began firing in the air during a protest by residents against the mutineers near a cultural center in the city on Friday.

At least 100 heavily armed mutineers poured into the city center aboard military transport trucks and pickups, according to witnesses. Shops were closed across the volatile area. Disgruntled soldiers seized control of Bouake on Friday. Rocket launchers were used in the streets, terrifying residents.

“I’m going home. With this shooting starting up again, I prefer to be at home,” said a local man.Defense Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi is to negotiate with soldiers who staged a two-day mutiny last week. The soldiers want bonuses, pay raise, housing, and swifter promotion. On Sunday, the mutineers briefly held hostage Donwahi and his team as they were negotiating a deal over the matter.

The photo taken on January 7, 2017, shows mutinous soldiers in Ivory Coast’s second largest city, Bouake. (Photo by AFP)

President Alassane Ouattara has announced that a deal has already been reached between the two sides. Ouattara has, however, refrained from giving the exact details of the deal. Most of the people involved in the armed revolt are reportedly former rebels who were later integrated into the army.

Presstv

13, January 2017

Anglophone Crisis: Fourth round of talks to begin today ²

The meeting between Teachers Trade Unionists, members of Government and Stake holders in the education sector resumes today following a nine hour deliberation on Thursday January 12, 2017 at the North West Governors office.

The Director of Cabinet at the Prime Minister’s Office, Paul Goghomu Mingo has said that the teachers should demonstrate a sense of patriotism and responsibility. He observed that the wish is for children to go back to school and cover up for time wasted. Mr Goghomu reiterated that Government is already doing something to solve the problems raised by teachers in the English sub system of education citing the deployment of over 100 teachers to the North West and South West regions in secondary schools and the President’s decree on the creation of 1000 jobs for bilingual teachers.

The deliberation took hours and a huge crowd at the governor’s office waited for the ‘white smoke’ in vein. The ad hoc committee went point after point and later went on break by 5pm. It was only after 8pm that the meeting was adjourned.

Trade Union leaders maintained that the strike will continue even after adoption of resolutions unless the President of the Republic decrees them. The meeting was later adjourned by 8pm after 8 of the 18 points had been scrutinized. A trade Union leader said “The strike will only be lifted by the Consortium after clear deliberations and at a press conference when it becomes necessary.”

Cameroun Info.Net

13, January 2017

All Anglophone Conference is imminent ³

The atrocities of the Francophone army and the numerous meetings held between the so-called Ad Hoc Committee and the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium including the successful civil disobedience campaign that has paralyzed all academic activities in Southern Cameroons have failed to defuse a spiraling political crisis in the United Republic of Cameroon. With no senior Anglophone resignation from the scandal-hit Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo government, the time for an All Anglophone Conference is now.

Prime Minister Yang Philemon is reportedly under huge pressure after his Ad Hoc Committee members are implicated in abuses of power ranging from manipulation of the leaders of the Southern Cameroons Consortium, fake press releases and state radio and television apparent cover-up of numerous police killings in Kumba, Buea, Bamenda and Kumbo.

The Anglophone leaders yesterday rejected the sum of 30 million FCFA each from Higher Education Minister, Jacques Fame Ndongo to sanction the resumption of schools in Southern Cameroons. The Ad Hoc Committee opted for another meeting today and this time around with the lawyers.

The meeting with the lawyers comes amid continuing attempts to bribe the leaders and other British Southern Cameroons independent personalities. In these tough days, when Southern Cameroons is in deep political crisis, it is time for all Anglophone members of parliament both from the ruling CPDM and the SDF to resign. Those who have any political affiliation with La Republique du Cameroun should not be allowed to participate in the All Anglophone Conference. We of Cameroon Intelligence Report hope such political action will help in resolving the Anglophone problem.

Understandably, the Francophone political elites caused the crisis with anti reunification behavior currently being teleguided by Biya, Martin Belinga Eboutou and Fame Ndongo. The intelligence services of an unnamed European state is already assisting the Francophone government in Yaoundé and very soon the leaders of the Consortium will be accused of plotting to destabilize the nation.

Biya and his allies are unfit to govern and many suspect this Ad Hoc Committee is a political operation by the Francophone government to divert attention from genuine Anglophone demands. We have gotten intelligence that the Consortium intends to hold an All Anglophone Conference. We welcome it and appeal for the creation of an interim Southern Cameroons House of Assembly comprising those who are presently supervising the strikes actions in all Sub Divisions and Divisional headquarters in the territory.

We suggest that the All Anglophone Conference should not take the old pattern of a free for all like the AAC1 and AAC II. This is because the ruling CPDM crime syndicate might infiltrate the conference, make it turn violent and further destabilize Southern Cameroonians.

This is no time for triumphalism so Fru Ndi, Ayah Paul, Yang Philemon and other highly placed Southern Cameroons CPDM barons should be told that leadership in this struggle is not our ultimate goal. This is just a step towards ending Francophone dominance and marginalization of British Southern Cameroonians.

The Ambassadors from the US, EU, Germany, France, Britain and Italy should be informed about Southern Cameroons government’s commitment to every democratic principles and values stated in the UN Charter.The leaders should bear in mind that any town, village or city in Southern Cameroons can host an All Anglophone Conference not only Buea and Bamenda.

In the Consortium we trust

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Cameroon Concord News Group

13, January 2017

Nigeria to offer asylum to Gambian President Yahya Jammeh ⁰

Nigerian lawmakers have voted to offer Gambian President Yahya Jammeh asylum if he hands over power to opposition leader Adama Barrow, who was declared the winner of the country’s December presidential election. The House of Representatives, Nigeria’s lower house, on Thursday approved a motion to authorize President Muhammadu Buhari to offer Jammeh asylum if he steps down when his five-year mandate ends on January 19.

Jammeh has a constitutional right to remain in office until his term ends. The Nigerian president is due to travel with other West African leaders to Gambia on Friday to persuade Jammeh to accept the election results. Jammeh had initially accepted the results of the December 1 election, in which Barrow was declared the winner, but reversed his position more than a week later and called for a revote. Barrow says Jammeh lacks the constitutional authority to call for a new vote or to invalidate the election.

Leaders from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have already traveled to the Gambia in an attempt to strike a deal with the president to make him to leave power. ECOWAS has said that Jammeh must step down and vowed “to take all necessary action to enforce the results” of the election. Jammeh has, however, questioned the role of the regional body as a genuine mediator. In New Year’s speech broadcast on state TV, the Gambian president accused the regional bloc of declaring a war against his country. He also pledged to defend his country against what he called any foreign aggression.

Jammeh has also described the mediation by ECOWAS as an insult to Gambia’s constitution. His refusal to accept the results prompted political upheaval in the country, bringing pressure from the international community on him to accept the result and step down. Several countries and the United Nations Security Council have called for a peaceful transition of power in Gambia. Jammeh seized power in a military coup in 1994 and has been in power ever since. He has long been under fire by human rights groups, who accuse him of torturing, imprisoning, or even sometimes killing his opponents.

Presstv

13, January 2017

Yannick Noah’s dad going home to rest ⁰

The dad of world tennis star Yannick Noah who died on the 8^th of January in Yaoundé will be laid to rest on Wednesday January the 18^th 2017. The former international soccer player travelled to the land of his ancestors after a protracted illness.

Yannick Noah said his late dad Zacharie Noah was a winner man full of passion. He reportedly jumped into the central court defeating all security services some few seconds after his son won the Roland-Garros final in 1983 even before Yannick Noah could shake the hands of the umpire.

The late Zacharie Noah was born on the 2^nd of February 1937 in Yaoundé, Cameroon, then French protectorate. He was the son of Simon Noah, a Cameroonian who worked in the French cocoa plantations and was murdered at the age of 84 by a stray bullet during the attempted coup in 1985.

He attended high school at the Lycée Marcel Roby in St Germain-en-Laye, France before becoming a professional footballer with Stade Saint-Germain. He won the French cup final with Sedan in 1961. His professional career stopped abruptly in 1963 following a serious injury.

Zacharie Noah got married to Marie-Claire Noah and they were blessed with two daughters, Isabelle and Nathalie and tennis player Yannick Noah, born in 1960. He is the grandfather of basketball player Joakim Noah, Son of Yannick.

By Sonne Peter

12, January 2017

Bamenda: Consortium and Ad Hoc Committe meeting intensive but not productive ¹

The meeting grouping members of the Ad Hoc Committee and the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium currently going in Bamenda has reportedly been intensive but not productive. Members have withdrawn for a coffee break.

Tassang Wilfred and Lucas Tasi Ntang from the teachers’ trade unionists have presented elaborate papers on the need for federated states so as to well preserve the Anglophone system of education. The teachers’ trade unions have presented an 18 point memorandum and only three have been deliberated upon. Discussions will resume in 30 minutes.

The leaders, it should be noted haven’t walked out of the hall yet. The government Ministers are only interested in seeing the reopening of schools in Southern Cameroons. (This item is still developing)

12, January 2017

The White House: Reality TV Show begins as Trump shuts down CNN reporter ⁰

US President-elect Donald Trump refused to take questions from a CNN correspondent during a tense exchange at a press conference, blasting the news network for spreading “fake news.” During the contentious exchange at Trump Tower on Wednesday, CNN’s Jim Acosta pressed Trump to take a follow-up question after the president-elect assailed CNN for publishing a report Tuesday which included allegations that Russian operatives claimed to possess compromising personal and financial information about Trump.

“Mr. President -elect since you are attacking our news organization can you give us a chance,” asked Acosta. “Not you, your organization is terrible!” Trump shouted back. “I’m not going to give you a question. You are fake news!” “Don’t be rude,” Trump interjected, after Acosta called his response “not appropriate” and tried to press on with his question. On late Tuesday, CNN covered a report originally published by BuzzFeed News, alleging that Russia was in possession of “compromising” personal and financial information about Trump. The report dominated Trump’s press briefing, which was his first since July of last year. The New York billionaire slammed the media for spreading unsubstantiated news and said the release of such details about him would amount to a “tremendous blot” on the record of the US intelligence community.

CNN issued a statement after the presser, saying that its reporting on the so-called Russia dossier was “vastly different” from the one by other outlets and the “Trump team knows this.” Acosta said in a separate report that Trump’s spokesman Sean Spicer threatened to expel him from Trump Tower if he insisted to ask questions after his exchange with the incoming president. Spicer responded in a Fox News interview by calling on the reporter to apologize to Trump and “the entire press corps” over his “childish and inappropriate” behavior. “If you want to have a conversation and engage in a polite and respectful manner with the president-elect, he’s gonna treat you in kind,” Spicer said. “But if you come in hot and want to be disrespectful and rude, as Jim Acosta was today, he’s not gonna sit back and take it. This is a man who fights and wins.”

Presstv

12, January 2017

International money transfers disrupted for several days in Cameroon ⁰

International money transfers have been severely disrupted for several days in Cameroon. Some local media reports have blamed the situation on the Yaounde regime’s efforts at stifling the Anglophone uprising. However, Cameroon Concord News understands the International money transfer operators such as Western Union and Money Gram have refused to be taxed on their commissions.

Since 2015, the Cameroon finance law requires that operators’ levies on transfers be taxed. The Cameroonian representatives of these products, who strongly oppose the 2015 rules and regulations, have therefore decided to suspend the activity. A journalist with a sister publication Cameroon Intelligence Report hinted that the operators have not reached an agreement with their international partners.

However, although there has been a law since 2015 and the implementing legislation has been delayed due to administrative burdens, commission fees received by local operators have never been taxed for transfers to the EU.

By Chi Prudence Asong

12, January 2017

Southern Cameroons Freedom Fighters from Wum: The need for their release ⁰

On Feb. 8th, 2016, hundreds of youths in Wum in Menchum Division NWR, took to the streets protesting the brutal killing of a young Commercial Bike Rider by a soldier. The said soldier {a francophone} had stabbed the young at about 2am following an argument over a woman. That happened in a liquor bar in central town. The soldier promptly fled. Infuriated, youths seized the slain man’s body from the Wum mortuary and paraded it on the streets for hours and finally dumped it at the military barracks. Things degenerated and soldiers opened fire in the ensuing confrontation. Many were wounded.

In the days and weeks that followed, soldiers and police from Bamenda cracked down on the population taking away scores of young people and the 3rd Class Chief of Waindo in Wum. At least four others were dragged from their sick beds at the Wum General Hospital – against the advice of the doctor in charge. They were all whisked off to Bamenda and demanded in prison custody. Also note that the arrests were typical of the abuses unleashed on UB students last month – breaking into homes, seizing of suspects, smeared in dust and mud; they were beaten and parading half-naked at the Wum Grand Stand and in scorching sun.

Then one night, without warning they were plucked from their prison cells and shipped off to Yaoundé (including a lone pregnant girl prisoner) a relative to the dead Ben Skin Rider. Although the pregnant girl was subsequently released after about three months, nothing has been heard of the rest of the Anglophone Detainees from Wum.

Theirs was clearly a daring resistance to what they described as excesses of French speaking soldiers who frequently acted with impunity, tormenting women, man and bike riders. Their pent up anger exploded and they razed a building at the military barracks and vandalized some military trucks – just like last November’s riots in Bamenda where irate youths burnt down a police station. Southern Cameroonians have resisted the regime and obtained the freedom of several youths arrested in Bamenda and taken to Yaounde. The Consortium has done well to achieve this. Is it too much to ask that this same protest action be directed towards the freedom of the Wum Detainees languishing for one long year now in French speaking Yaounde?

The only difference between the Wum Youths and their Bamenda compatriots is the dates of their respective protests or resistance activities. But their motives were definitely the same. The Wum Youths should be honoured for standing up to the brutality of the regime even at a time when the current nationalist momentum was absent. Justice that is good for the Bamenda youths is also good for the Wum and Kumba youths still being held in Kondengui – far away from their home. At best they should simply be freed.

At worst, they should be brought back to their region where (if they must), undergo trial in Bamenda or Wum where the military court can also seat . This way, they will be near their relatives who would easily support their welfare behind bars. So shall we abandon the Wum Youths? Kai!! May our consciences deprive us of good sleep if we do. Dear Consortium Members, did you hear my plea? Did the Hon. Wirba not tell us this is a DUTY?

Randy Joe Sa’ah

12, January 2017

African Cardinal: If we allow Communion for adulterers, what about our polygamists? ⁰

A leading African cardinal has suggested that if Pope Francis’ Amoris Laetitia actually allows Westerners in irregular situations to receive Holy Communion, it would make the Catholic Church in Africa, which has fought long and hard against the irregular situation of polygamy, lose credibility among its people. “If Westerners in irregular situations can receive Communion, are we to tell our polygamists & other ‘misfits’ that they too are allowed?” Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, the archbishop of Durban, South Africa, posted on his Twitter account January 5.

3/3 If Westerners in irregular situations can receive Communion, are we to tell our polygamists & other “misfits” that they too are allowed? Cardinal Napier was responding to a Dec. 30, 2016 article by Fr. Raymond de Souza in which the Canadian Catholic priest and editor-in-chief of Convivium Magazine took a hard look at the “acrimony and division” in the Catholic Church caused by the ambiguity in the pope’s April Exhortation on marriage and the family.

Fr. de Souza argued in his article “Debating ‘Amoris Laetitia’: A Look Ahead” that if the Exhortation actually allows civilly divorced and remarried Catholics to “receive absolution and Communion without a required intention to change their situation” then a “great unraveling would begin” regarding the Church’s teaching on marriage.

“Marriage is the key issue,” de Souza wrote, adding that the Exhortation lends itself to allowing Catholics to question if it is “possible to be in a conjugal relationship with someone other than a validly married spouse that would be pleasing in the eyes of God?” Commenting on this, Cardinal Napier noted the implications of the Church weakening its teaching on marriage in reference to the significant problem of polygamy in traditional African cultures. “Was the faith taught by the missionaries, e.g. that polygamy is morally wrong — because Scripture teaches one-man-one-wife for life — completely wrong?” he tweeted.

The practice of polygamy in Africa continues to be widespread. Famous polygamists include the King of Swaziland who currently has 15 wives and Jacob Zuma, fourth president of South Africa, with 6 wives and 20 children. Because marriage in God’s plan involves one man and one woman, the Catholic Church condemns this practice, forbidding practicing polygamists on account of their obstinate and public sin from receiving Holy Communion. To combat the problem, the latest document on the Church in Africa, Africae Munus: Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Church in Africa, calls for a “change of behavior – for example, sexual abstinence, rejection of sexual promiscuity, fidelity within marriage” and a new “sex education based on an anthropology anchored in the natural law and enlightened by the word of God and the Church’s teaching.” Cardinal Napier’s tweet all but denounces what would become a vast problem in his country if the “discernment” process proposed by Amoris for allowing couples in irregular situations to approach the sacraments comes into vogue.

Such a discernment process has already been championed by several leading prelates, following Amoris’ lead, who have given their own justifications for giving Holy Communion to people in “difficult” situations. These include Bishop Franz-Josef Bode of Germany, who suggested admission to Communion by both partners of mixed marriages, Cardinals Walter Kasper and Kevin Farrell with their call to admit “remarried” divorced Catholics to the sacrament, as well as Cardinal Christoph Schönborn with his interpretation of Amoris allowing for “discernment” along with “graduality of admission” to the sacraments for couples in irregular situations.

Napier’s tweet indicates that he recognizes the problem that “individual discernment” could have in his own cultural context, namely, people who live in polygamous relationships could now claim to have “discerned” in their own “conscience” that it is valid for them to receive Holy Communion. If polygamists were to be admitted to Holy Communion in certain circumstances, decades of work of Catholic missionaries would be undone and swept away along with the Catholic understanding that marriage is a union between one man and one woman that can only be dissolved by death.

During the recent Synods on the Family, Napier was not on the side of theologians supporting the “Kasper proposal” that would allow Communion for Catholics living in objective adulterous relationships. In a video interview with Catholic News Service from that time, Napier rejected outright Cardinal Kasper’s Communion proposal, warning that it would mean opening the door to Communion for polygamists as well. He was so concerned about the bewilderingly wide acceptance of Kasper’s proposal among leading Catholic prelates at the Synod that he went as far as endorsing Edward Pentin’s explosive book The Rigging of a Vatican Synod?, as LifeSiteNews reported.

With Napier having defended Pope Francis against the four Cardinals and their dubia, while at the same time extensively quoting Amoris Laetitia in his tweets over the past months, faithful Catholics are left puzzled as to what game the Cardinal is playing. Last month after being challenged by another Twitter user, Napier, in a series of responses, suggested that Catholics who “analyses [sic] negatively” the Pope, do so “without checking what [the] Pope actually said.” He also suggested that by not responding to the dubia, Pope Francis was following the example of Christ who sometimes refused to answer questions from interlocutors.

Culled from LifeSiteNews